Sara Holt, team leader, customer support at the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), reports.
When I joined the cleaning sector seven years ago, my view of cleaning was probably the same as many people, that everybody cleans so what’s to learn? I had always been polite to cleaning staff when I had encountered them and was appreciative that somebody was keeping the office where I worked, the supermarket where I shopped, my doctor’s surgery, and all the other places I visited clean and tidy without considering what the task entailed, potential hazards and role perception.
A cleaning operative has responsibility for delivering a consistent level of service in line with their company’s standard contract specifications and for ensuring all areas are cleaned efficiently in a timely manner to these required standards. To undertake the role, we ask our cleaning operatives to be polite and pleasant to people they encounter, to remain calm in stressful situations, to manage their time and workload, potentially work alone, deliver customer service, help people whilst paying attention to detail, and have a knowledge of public safety and security. When you look at this list it is extensive for a role that can be perceived as being undertaken by anyone.
Focus is given to training cleaning operatives in how to undertake the cleaning task efficiently and effectively in a safe manner which is appropriate given the requirements of the cleaning contract with clients and duty of care employers have to their staff. We should all be aware that The Health & Safety Executive provides guidance applicable to the cleaning industry including manual handling, using chemicals, managing risks, and reporting accidents which should be incorporated into company risk assessments and training programmes in document or diagram format accessible to staff impacted by the potential risks. Can we support safe and task appropriate working practices by providing guidance and training on how to undertake tasks, by supplying easy to access documents in an understandable format, demonstrating and allowing time for ongoing practice of the task which helps to reinforce the task whilst establishing a routine that can be completed within the time allocated and becomes part of the normal working day without appearing to be onerous or unnecessary?
Staff are said to be a company’s greatest asset and are the face of the company so how do we encourage staff to be polite, pleasant and calm as a positive representative of their employer and the cleaning sector? Respecting each other and being polite and friendly ourselves to everybody we encounter, building a culture of inclusion where we value the part each of us must play in delivering results is a good start for all of us.
Service level usually relates to the standard or timescale to which a task is completed but service level extends to professionalism and customer service provided by the company delivering the service and the company receiving the service. A friendly approachable member of staff who makes the working environment calm and pleasurable to work in helps to build relationships and enhance customer service, how often have you gone the extra mile for somebody you feel comfortable working with and who is polite and friendly to you?
I am fortunate in my role to work with many people within the cleaning sector and have a greater appreciation that cleaning operatives have far more responsibilities than first perceived and maybe we can all learn from each other by supportive working together.
www.bics.org.uk
About the contributor
Sara Holt
Team Leader, Customer Support
BICSc